A History of Wild Places is a thoroughly unique experience. It’s creepy, yet soothing. It made me long for a simpler life while simultaneously being grateful for modern conveniences. It’s so atmospheric, with gorgeous imagery of the forest and the community. It switches in the first person between 3 different perspectives: Calla, Theo, and Bee, all from within the Pastoral community. I was completely pulled into the wild rules of the Pastoral community. It’s somehow both quiet and thoroughly fast-paced. If you’re a fan of thrillers involving cults, I would definitely recommend this one!

A missing author. An investigator with postcognition and with the skill to read an object and see its memory. A disturbing children's book series set in the deep woods and underground. An isolated community called Pastoral that once welcomed outsiders but has now closed their borders because the very trees that surround their homes are leaking toxic gases into the air.

'A History of Wild Places' was a book that I think had all the right pieces but suffered from being put together wrong. Our story is told from multiple points of view, and while I understand why this is critical to the story, it just reads in a disjointed fashion. None of the characters are especially interesting (there's also a reason for this too), but by about the halfway mark I was so uninterested in what happened to them that I pretty much checked out.

I wanted to like 'A History of Wild Places'. I really did. If I focus on the positive, this is an interesting book that textually plays with concepts of memory and identity. The first third of the book is genuinely phenomenal and started so strong for me, but it quickly descends into a predictable, anticlimactic, and ultimately disappointing story. The main offender was the 'twist' near the end when you find out why our narrators are in Pastoral. It felt like Ernshaw was trying to wrap-up the story and wasn't sure how to do it. And, just like The Village (2004) which this book bears a remarkable resemblance to, the author Shyamalan'd us with that ending...not in a good way.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"She was a shadow. She was the cruel, howling thing that could be heard during a full moon. Shew as the monster who crept into other children's dreams. But this is how monsters are made: from innocent things."

Summary: Travis Wren has an ability to find missing people; he can see a person's past by touching an object of theirs. His newest assignment is to find Maggie St. James, a children's book author who has suddenly disappeared. As he starts his search and seems to get close to finding her, Travis disappears himself.

This is such a hard one to review because I don't want to spoil any of the plot. At first, I was a bit weary because of the overall similarity to M. Night's "The Village" film, but once everything started to unfold, my concern about that went out the window. This is much more interesting and intruiging of a tale, and I really enjoyed the mystery that Ernshaw allowed to develop.

I really enjoyed the use of multiple POVs as the storytelling device; it kept the pace moving forward and each of the characters had such a different role to play that it allowed me to piece everything together without having it be spoonfed to me, which is a definite plus!

My only complaints were that I had some unanswered questions about the characters, especially the Travis character. I want to know so much more about him and his ability, which I felt was such an interesting but wasted element of the story. And I was a bit disappointed in one of the twists near the end; it felt a bit trope-y and unrealistic (yes, even in a story that has a character who can sense the past from touching objects).

Overall, I definitely recommend this one, especially if you like stories that take place in the wilderness intermixed with mysterious elements.

4/5

An intriguing mystery and exploration of male power and isolation. This unfolds in a propulsive narrative between multiple characters. This explore power dynamics, isolation, and fear of the unknown. The characters slowly reveal information about themselves and their pasts. I did find this to be very predictable and the reveals felt unsatisfying.

One of my favorite reads of 2022! If you love creepy and psychological suspense, then this is the perfect book to read especially on a gloomy day. A History of Wild Places reminded me of a M. Night Shyamalan film.

Loved this one so much!! The writing was stunning and ethereal. I loved the simplistic rustic lifestyle our characters lived. And that plot twist!! So good!!

I liked the book very much and the writing is amazing but I figured pretty much all the plot twist very early in the book. First, I thought we were talking about parallel universes or liminality. But pretty soon, some of the clues gave away too much for my taste. I prefer my mysteries a little bit more evasive, Having said that, the writing is flawless and I would definitely recommend it for those interested in a light suspense story with a bit of darkness and for those interested in reading fiction about Cults and self sufficient closed communities.

Unfortunately this book wasn't for me. The cult aspect was underwhelming and I honestly didn't care for the ending at all.

I absolutely loved the mystery of this story, and the way it explores people believing lies because it is safer than the truth.

It is so rare that a book surprises me in such a delightful way as this one has. The writing, descriptions and character development are amazing, but the true shining star here is the story. Not wanting to spoil it for anyone, I will only say prepare for a wild ride! Definitely a must read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for letting me receive an ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This was a nice soft and atmospheric horror story that I’m glad I chose to read during the winter. The cold setting present throughout the writing was enhanced even more by the season. Even though this was a horror (I think? That’s what the tags say at least) it was a pretty non scary horror and more mystery than thriller. The end was a little rushed and had me confused for a little while. Maybe the author had done that on purpose, a way to emulate the experiences the characters were going through at the end of the story, but it didn’t totally work for me. Like other horror stories I’ve enjoyed, this didn’t have a typical happy ending. It made you stop and think about the relationships and memories we have with our loved ones, how important they are and whether the significance of those relationships is more important than the how and why of them.

3/5

I went back and forth between a 2 and 3 star while reading. The conclusion is what dropped it to a 2.

Travis finds people who disappear. Using only one item that belonged to the missing person, he can locate them. Travis tries to locate a beloved children's author who disappeared near a communal living reservation known as pastoral.

I was initially really taken with this book's plot description, and the first chapter started out really strong in atmosphere and plot. Based on the first chapter, I thought I was going to really enjoy this book. Without giving anything away, this book took a very unexpected turn that I could not get behind. I set A History of Wild Places down several times, and it was a real chore to pick it back up after letting it sit for a day or two. When I got to the end of the book I didn't feel particularly excited by the way the author had tied up the loose ends of this book, I felt kind of disappointed. The book I thought I signed up for and the book I read, were two very different things, and in the end, I just didn't end up enjoying this as much as I had hoped to.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I am a huge fan of stories involving cults and off-the-beaten path communities. A History of Wild Places does not disappoint. The narrative moves back and forth in time and the world-building is quite delicious. I was surprised by the ending, which rarely happens for me. I loved it and can't wait to read the next novel by this author!

This book is dreamy, magical, dark, and mysterious. I was gripped from the start and would follow Ernshaw's prose from beginning to end. While I felt the plot was pretty easy to predict, the way she tells the story and the atmosphere she creates is amazing. She really makes you feel as if though you're there in the midst of these woods while you're reading this story.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Title: A History of Wild Places
Author: Shea Ernshaw
Pub Date: December 7, 2021
Star Rating: 4 Stars

Shea Ernshaw is an auto-read author for me and A History of Wild Places certainly lived up to my adoration for her books.
This book is beautifully written, atmospheric, and has a strong sense of place. I loved how mysterious the plot was and enjoyed how well Ernshaw writes magical realism. This book was delightfully spooky and I could not put it down. I highly recommend for fans of Ernshaw's prior works and anyone who loves an atmospheric mystery.

This book is beautifully written, but the story is slow and unsatisfying. The ending was unbelievable. I think I went into this one expecting more. More action maybe? More thrills? I don't know. I was skimming to get to the end.

A History of Wild Places is a bizarre ride, but I'm here for it. There were plenty of twists and turns that left me turning page after page. I would get a little lost in the storytelling a few times, but then something would happen, and it would suck me right back in. I thought that each of the characters was subtle and mysterious. This novel is challenging to review thoroughly because many fun parts contain significant spoilers. A dash of cult mentalities, missing people, and an investigator with a splash of supernatural abilities make for a perfect dark and twisty novel.

I really loved the beginning of this book a lot. The whole concept of a remote community, living in a way that is nearly unimaginable in the real world today, was very interesting to me. I enjoy books that explore themes that, in a different world perhaps, could exist.

I enjoyed Travis's character the most and his job description of finding missing people was definitely captivating. However, a huge problem for me was that this book just went too slowly. I kept putting it down every couple of pages because I just felt as if nothing was happening. I couldn't get more than halfway through, despite the excellent writing, because it was just so slow. I wish I could've finished this book, and one day I might, but the patience required is extensive.

The beginning of the book had me instantly intrigued and I couldn't wait to see where the story was heading. But then the characters shifted, and the pacing started to suffer at around the 30% mark. Almost all the characters fell flat for me, and in doing so, it made this story rather predictable. The parts that I found intriguing had a disappointing conclusion and I just didn't feel satisfied at the end. I think this was one big case of "it's just not for me". Overall, I gave it three stars because even though this wasn't a "blow my mind" type of read, I still enjoyed the concept.